Let Angels Sing

On a typical weekday morning I enjoy reading from The Valley of Vision during my time with the Lord. This morning I read from the prayer entitled The Great God that had these words:

Let angels sing for

sinners repenting,
prodigals restored,
backsliders reclaimed,
Satan's captives released,
blind eyes opened,
broken hearts bound up,
the despondent cheered,
the self righteous stripped,
the formalist driven from a refuge of lies,
the ignorant enlightened,
and saints built up in their holy faith.

Let angels sing indeed! I can't help but think of how fitting this is for our current Advent season. I think Angels singing brings our minds to Luke's narrative of their appearance to the shepherds. Did the angels actually 'sing'? They certainly praised God and gave Him glory! Whether or not this involved a song as we know it matters not. But they did have great reason to praise God. The One had been born. The One who would bruise that old Serpent's head. The One who would make His blessings flow as far as the curse is found. Which brings us back to the above prayer.

All of these things are results of Christ's coming: sinners repenting, prodigals restored, backsliders reclaimed, Satan's captives released, blind eyes opened, broken hearts bound up, the despondent cheered, the self righteous stripped, the formalist driven from a refuge of lies, the ignorant enlightened, and saints built up in their holy faith. 

What a marvelous season Advent is! As we think deeply about Christ's first coming and all that He has accomplished in it, may our hearts rejoice. Don't let the "arrows" of this season distract you from Whom they are actually pointing. The lights, the family, the cookies, the presents, all of it ought to be pointing us to this greater reality that Christ has came and He has conquered. Joy to the world! We are free from our bondage to sin and our rebellion against God and we are restored, setting our minds and hearts on our chief end: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Christ is the great hope, love, joy, and peace of this season. Let angels sing indeed!